PARENTS at a Bromsgrove primary school are raising vital cash to help keep their children cool and safe during heatwaves after one of the hottest weeks on record.
The parents have set up a GoFundMe to raise enough cash to buy 17 portable air conditioning units at Lickey Hills Primary School in Catshill.
If successful, this will allow the school to give each classroom one air conditioning unit.
This comes after last week’s red weather warning for heat, which saw many schools across Worcestershire close early.
Lickey Hills Primary allowed parents to collect their child at lunchtime during the heatwave.
For those who were able to attend class, children were allowed to come to class in their PE kits to stay cool.
Youngsters were also required to have a water bottle in school every day, and they were also allowed to bring handheld fans into class.
So far, over £1,800 has been raised towards the £4,000 target to provide the air conditioning.
Sarah Jobson, who started the fundraiser, said: “Our goal is to raise enough money so that every child has a cool, comfortable environment in which to learn.
“Lickey Hills Primary School is a beautiful older building, but it simply wasn’t designed for today’s extreme temperatures.
“Large windows and limited ventilation meant that classroom temperatures soared to well above 30°C, creating an environment where children found it incredibly difficult to concentrate, learn and thrive.
“Some families had no choice but to keep their children at home, resulting in valuable learning time being lost.
“As summers become hotter, there is also the risk of future disruption to education and increased pressure on working families who may need to arrange emergency childcare at short notice.
“As parents, we want to do something about it.
“Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help us provide a better learning environment and ensure children can remain in school, even during periods of extreme heat.
“Together, we can help keep our children cool, comfortable and in the classroom, whatever the weather.”
A spokesperson for Lickey Hills Primary School thanked all the families who had set up the GoFundMe page and said they appreciated all the support given to them by those who donated.
Visit gofundme.com/f/keep-our-kids-cool-safe-and-learning-through-the-summer to donate.
